Why is everything white marble? would it kill them to use some warm materials?

According to renderings such as this one they will be using other colors and materials too (with some artwork), which should give it a somewhat more welcoming feeling. Compare that to the original twin towers lobby which was almost entirely white.

What exactly is within the 19-floor base? Is it purely building core? I can't imagine why they wouldn't try to squeeze some useable space out of it.

The base houses the tower's Hydrogen Fuel Cells, which if I'm not mistaken,will provide about 1/3 of the building's energy. It will also provide ventilation, chillers, and mechanical needs for the building's core.

__________________
"They told me that I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability."

The base houses the tower's Hydrogen Fuel Cells, which if I'm not mistaken,will provide about 1/3 of the building's energy. It will also provide ventilation, chillers, and mechanical needs for the building's core.

Then why not just call them mechanical floors? I guess having 32 mechanical floors would raise some eyebrows

Then why not just call them mechanical floors? I guess having 32 mechanical floors would raise some eyebrows

Yeah, this building does a pretty amazing job of hiding the fact that it's a concrete and steal fortress. There's no safer place in the city IMO other than maybe 33 Thomas Street, which was designed to reamin functional for up to a month after an nuclear attack.

1WTC also accomplishes Libeskind's original intent of making the buildings lower and safer, except without compromising height/bulk. The two places where people would be most vulnerable to a terrorist attack are (conveniently) occupied by mechanical floors. The base mechanical floors protect against car/briefcase bombs and the upper mechanical floors protect against an attack by aircraft.

But in all likelyhood, I doubt we'll ever see a 9-11 style attack ever again, nor is it likely that a car packed with explosives could ever get close enough to Tower 1 to do any substantial damage due to the added street level safety features. I mean someone could detonate from West St., but the tower is too far away and too well-engineered; it would be like kicking a giant in the shins. Not gonna work.

__________________
"They told me that I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability."

Council On Tall Buildings To Decide Whether Willis Tower Or One World Trade Center Is U.S.'s Loftiest

11/05/2013

Quote:

It's a tale of two towers.

One, a giant of the Midwest that stood as the nation's tallest building for 39 years; the other, a resurrection that stands in the place of two former heavyweights of height.

And officials can't agree which building is taller.

The call on whether One World Trade Center in New York City or the Sears Willis Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in America now hinges on a technicality.

According to the Tribune, the height committee of The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is set to decide whether One World Trade Center's mast should be considered a spire or a broadcast antenna; if the council rules it a spire, that would put the skyscraper's official height about 325 feet taller than the Willis.

"We want to get the communication of that (discussion) and the decision of the committee correct," Antony Wood, the council's executive director, said Monday. The council was supposed to issue a ruling Friday but hit a delay; it did not disclose an exact date for the ruling.

__________________NEW YORK. World's capital.

“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.

Technically, the "roof" aka 105th floor is at 1,334' 8" (406.88 meters). The parapet is at 1,368'. You can't physically stand on the parapet unless you want to practice gymnastics on the beams but that is what makes it the height of the original North Tower.